October festivals make music alive in Korea

Many travellers visit Korea in October for the autumn foliage, and to enjoy the city without suffering from the summer’s heat.However there is one extra advantage to visiting Seoul in October : it is full of festivals that let you enjoy music.

Being in Seoul early October, we have attended several music festivals that let you see various sides of Korea.

This includes university festivals such as Soongsil’s Ssuper Festival. The line-up for University festivals in Seoul is impressive, and on October 1st, Soongsil welcomed Urban Zakapa, Soran and Jay Park, in a relaxed athmosphere. The festival is free and having fun with Korean students is something you wouldn’t want to miss out during your next Korea trip.

Then was the Zandari Festa 2015. Zandari Festa is a festival that has been held in Hongdae from October 2nd to 4th.
Hongdae is often similar to indie and underground music, and parties in clubs and bars. Zandari Festa is a mix of all of this. Inviting groups from all around the world, the Zandari Festa showcases various music styles, and lets you experience the wild side of Seoul through various stages.

Enjoy a view of the city at rooftop concerts, party it up in a cool bar, enjoy the fresh air during a terrace concert… This festival is perfect if you want to escape everything mainstream.

If, however, you are looking for something more mediatized, October is also a perfect period for K-Pop events.

On October, 3rd, we went to the We love Gangwon K-Pop concert, held in the Gangwon province. This festival (an Arirang’s Simply K-Pop special) is approximatively a 3-hours drive from Seoul. The distance is not a problem though, as you can use a special shuttle bus that runs specifically for the festival. With some luck, you can get a nice bus manager that will make the ride a fun one.

The festival was held up at High1 resort, in the mountains. Expect a drop in temperatures if you go there. This festival is foreigners-friendly, and lets you see all the hot acts in K-Pop. This year, BTS, EXID, VIXX, Ailee, M&D, GOT7 or SHINee performed at the festival.

Arirang isn’t the only TV channel having a live festival early October, and on October, 6th it was also possible to attend SBS’s One Asia Seoul Mega Concert (a special episode of their The Show programm). This one was held at Seoul Plazza, right in the center of Seoul, with all the groups promoting at the moment.While it can be difficult for foreigner audiences to attend the regular recordings of such TV shows, the live concerts, with a much bigger scale, make it easier to spot your favorite groups and, if you are lucky enough, see one of them take the win.

The first week-end of October is also usually when Gangnam hold its festival with a big concert held in the streets of the popular neighborhood. This year’s Gangnam Festival was pretty much dedicated to SM artists (Zhoumi, Henry, Red Velvet, Donghae & Eunhyuk, Exo…) but there are different artists every year, always among those who are making K-Pop hot worldwide.During Fall, music resounds all around Korea, so do not miss this chance to enjoy the diversity of Korean stages. Whether you’re more into K-Pop, Hip-Hop, Rock or Indie, you can have it all thanks to the many Festival organized during this beautiful month.